Welding circuitry



Sept. 3, 1963 4R. H. BLAIR WELDING CIRCUITRY Filed Feb. 6. 1961 INVENTOR ATTORNEY J' Rof/er H BLA/le gMQl/m transformer.

vresistance welding current.

3,102,976 l Wernnio CinCUrTnY vRobert H. Blair, Bay City, Mich., assigner to Heltrecht Machine Company, Saginaw, Mieli., a partnership Filed Fel). 6, 1961, Ser. No. 87,366 6 Claims.` (Cl. 321-9) The present invention relates to a nevi and novel power supply system for resistance welding equipment and more particularly to such ya system employing silicon rectier means. In resistance welding operations, it is 'generally necessary to convert a conventional power supply in the form'lof three-phase alternating current into a direct current for operating the welding equipment. Accordingly, such systems employ rectifier means, and the prior art has employ-ed `magneslum-copper sulphide type rectiers for this purpose. These types of rectiiiers suifer certain inherent disadvantages which have limited their usefulness in kwelding systems. l

Magnesium-copper sulphide type lrecti-tiers often become contaminated by moisture. r[ll-lis moisture may be formed either as condensation from the air or from Y-connected. rlfhe autotransorrner itself is Y-connected and the output thereof is connected with the primary coils of the second transformer means. With this novel interconnection, the delta connected primary coilsof the second transformer means serve to lilter the transient and harmonic voltages to a certain extent.

t tiary coil means to dissipate the harmonic voltages.

water leaks, and when such water comes in Contact with Magnesium-copper .sulphide rectiliers also limit the y design of the DC. portion of the supply system since, the DC. voltage must be limited to approximately 5 volt peaks. This is a major limitation, particularly in applications of three-phase welding wherein'portable welding eguns are employed since the cable resistance must also be considered inthe DC. voltage requirements.

The disadvantages inherent in systems employing magnesium-copper sulphide rectitie'rs may be overcome by employing silicon power diodes .as the rectiier means in place thereof. Silicon power diodes are free from moisture contamination, and the rectitication action is not impaired by moisture. ln addition, a power supply lsystem incorporating silicon power diodes need not be limited to 5 volt peaks, but the silicon diode design can be rated upwards in accordance with the circuit requirements. It is accordingly evident that the utilization of silicon power diodes provides major advantages in a power supply system :for welding equipment.

Although silicon diodes successfully overcome certain problems existing in the prior art, the employment of such silicon diodes in welding circuits has been limited due to the yfact that when an inverse voltage, transient or otherwise, exceeds the rated inverse voltage of a diode, the diode is irrepairably damaged. This is 'due to the vfact that a silicon diode has noself-healing characteristic as does a magnesium-copper' sulphide cell. It is accordingly essential that means be provided in the power supply system rto prevent 'transient and harmonic voltages from exceeding the rated inverse voltage of the silicon diodes. n

'Ilhe power supply system of the present invention is of the transformer-rectifier type, and a three-phase alternating power supply is connected to the input of an autorllhe output of the autotransiormer is in turn connected with a second transformer means comprising a plurality of single-phase welding transformers having the primary and secondary coils thereof connected in a novel manner.

The output of the second transformer means is in turn connected to a pair of welding electrodes through a bank of silicon diodes to provide` the required D C.

means actually comprises three individual single-phase transformers, the primary windings of which are deltaconnected and the secondary windings of which are The second transformer In order to protect the silicon diodes, the autotrans- -fcrmer .is provided with tertiary coil means including three 'windings delta-connected and operatively associated with the coils of the autotransformer. A delta-connected tertiary coil means is also operatively associated with the coils of the second transformer means. 'l'lhe purpose of each of these delta-connected tertiary coils is to circulate currents 4as a result ot non-.sinusoidal voltage currents. Sinusoidal voltages in a three-phase circuit instantaneously total Zero voltage. Harmonic voltages superimposed on the 60 cycle :iundamental produce circulating exciting currents in the delta-connected ter- It is particularly the third harmonic and multiples thereof which produce dangerous peaks of voltage and these peaks are eliminated by the delta-connected tertiary coil means in eachcase since die tertiary coil means shortoircuits the harmonic components from the Y-connected windings and thereby contines such currents to the transformer windings themselves.

Accordingly, the provision of these delta-connected tertiary coil means enables the welding system to. incorporate silicon diode rectiiier means without the danger of these diodes being destroyed by excessive voltage p peaks exceeding the expected peaks of the fundamental wave where such excessive peaks are attributable to wave vform. harmonics. Y

, An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved power supply system rior resistance welding equipment incorporating rectier means which is substantially iree lirom moisture contamination.

Another object is the provision of a new and improved power supply system for resistance welding equipment incorporating rectifier means which provides freedom of the D.C. voltage circuit design, :and which permits the DC. voltage to operate at higher peaks than is permissible with other types of rectitiers.

A fur-ther :object of the invention is to provide a power supply system for resistance welding equipment incorporating silicon diodes and wherein means is provided for preventing inverse voltages greater than the rated inverse voltage of the silicon diodes from reaching the silicon diodes.

Other objects and many attendant advantages of the invention will become'more apparent when considered in .connection with 'che accompanying drawing which illustrates schematically a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings the terminals, qll, 2 p

and p3 are illustrated. r[The characters p1', p2 and p3 represent the three terminals in a conventional threephasev yalternating current power supply. These three terminals are connected to the input terminals of a three-phase auto-transformer indicated generally by A having a three-phase winding divided into legs L1, L2 and L3 which are tapped to permit adjustment of the output voltages through leads `1, 2 and 3 respectively which are in turn connected with the second transformer` provision with the autotransformer A `of a three-phase Patented Sept. 3, 1963 i *r tertiary winding which is i the Winding sections D1, D2 and D3 which are connected Y tive equivalents are therefore intended 3 l delta-connected and includes together as` Vshown in the drawing. The purpose of this delta-connected tertiary coil means is to remove transient land harmonic voltages from the three-,phase sec- The leads l,

londary voltages lof `the autotransformer. 2 and 3 couple tire autotransformer with three mutually identical single-phase welding transformers indicated Y generally `by reference characters X, Y and Z.

v Each `of these welding transformers includes a primary coil indicated by reference numerals X1, Y1 and Z1 which are identical and compri-se tapped windings deltaconnected withione another and further coupled to the leads 1,` 2 and i` `as seen the drawing.

Each'of transformers X, Y and Z alsoincludesra secy ondary Winding indicated respectively by reference charactersX2, Y2 and Z2 which arev alsoidentical andare Y-connected at a common neutral terminall K which said secondary coil means of said second transformer means being connected to said silicon rectifier means, anddelta-connected unloaded tertiary coils in at leastione of saidtransformer means for short circuiting third and related harmonic components. f Y

2. A direct-circuit power` supply system comprisinga three-phase Y-connected autotransformer, a iirst deltaconnected tertiary coil means `operatively 'associated with said autotransformer to remove transient and harmonic voltages from the. lthree-phase secondary Vvoltages of the autotransformer, second transformer means including primary coil means and secondary coil j means, said primary coil means being delta-connected and -s'aid secondary coil meansbeing Y-connected,` the outputV of said autotransf'ormer being connected to the primary coil means of said second transformer means, silicon rectifier means, the output of said secondary coil means serves as one output terminal of the second transformer means. This common neutral terminal K is connected tluough a lead 4i to a lfirst welding electrode W1.

The ends of each of the secondary windings X2,KY2 and Z2 `opposite to the ends which are connected to the common neutral terminal Kv are connected through leads 5, 6 and 7 to the silicon diodes 3, 9 and lo respectively. rDhe diodes are in` turn connected with a common lead 111 which suppliesy the output currents from the diodes to j a second` Welding electrode W2. f lThe welding electrodes vW1 and W2 may be of any conventional construction, and as shown, these welding electrodes are applied to the opposite surfaces of a pair of superposed sheets of material ,S1 and S2 which sired to] weld to one another. vEach of the individual transformers X, Y and Z is 'provided with a tertiaryv` winding, these windings being mutually identical )and being indicated by reference characters X3, Ys and Z3. are coupled tcgther at their ends to torina delta-.con-

it is de- Y nected tertiary coil mleans. These windings are securely Ibrazvedto'gether to provide .a high degree of reliability in protecting the silicon diode rectifier means.

It is apparent from the foregoing that there is provided a new and novel power supply system for resistance weld- 1 ing equipment wherein the silicon diode rectiliers provide freedom from moisture contamination and enable freedom of the D.C.voltage circuit design enabling the D.C. voltage to Vbe operated at higher peaks than in prior art syistems. The delta-connected tertiary coil means associated with the autotransformer and thesecond transformer f means also-,effectively protects the silicon diodes lby pre- ,venting dangerous peaks of voltage from reaching the diodes. g It should be.l noted that l and Z1 yare delta-connected to tilter out the transient andV harmonic voltages, and that greater cancellation of the transient, and 'harmonic voltages is'ensured by the deltaconnected tertiary coil means X3, Ys' and Z3.

As this invention maybe ,embodied in several forms f without departingfrom the spirit or essential characterisvnected autotransformer means, second transformer means,

said second transformer means including primary coil means and secondary coil means, said primary coil means being delta-'connected .and 'said secondary coil means being Y-connected, the-output of said autotransformer means being connected 'to the primary coil means of said second transformer means, silicon'rectifier means, the output of prim-airy windings X1, Y1"

of `said second transformer means being connected to said silicon rectifier means, and second. delta-connected tertiary coil means operatively associated with the coil means of said second` trans-former means for'preventing ytransient and'harmonic voltages from reaching said sili-v con rectifier means. *y v' 3. A direct-current power supply system comprising a v three-phase alternating ycurrent powerA supply, a vthreephase autotransformer including Y-connected coils, said `autotransformer being connected with said power supply, `said coils of the ltransformer being step-tapped, second transformer means including primary coil means andsecv ondary coil means,l said primary coil means being deltaconnected, said secondary coil means being Y-connected, said primary coil means being Vstep-:tapped and being operatively connectedto the coils of said autotransform'er,

rThese latter-mentioned windings vdelta-connectedunloaded tertiary coil means operatively y associated with the coil-s of said autotransformer and saidl secondy transformer means for removing transient and harmonic voltages from the outputsA of saidy autotransformer and said second transformer means, silicon power rode means, the output of said second transformer means being connected with said silicon power diode means.

4. A power supply system for resistance welding equipy ment comprising a three-phase Y-connectedautotransformer adapted to be .connected to a source of three-phase alternating electric current, rst delta-connected tertiary coll means operatively associated ywith said autotransformer tov remove transient and harmonic voltages froml the three-phasesecondary voltages of the autotransformer,

K second transformer means comprising three single phase connected with the output of said autotransformer, sec-kl onddelta-connected tertiary coil means operatively iasv tertiary coil means is unloaded.

welding transformers each tof which includes a primary coil and a secondary coil,said primary coils being deltaconnected and said secondary coils being Y-connected, the primary coils of said second transformer means being sociated with the coils iof said second transformer means for preventing transient `and harmonicvoltages in the i output thereof, silicon power diode rectifier means, the outputof said second transformer means being connected y.

With said rectifier means.

l5. A system `as `defined in claim'4, wherein each of said 6.111 combination, a three-phase tf-connected autotransformer, delta-connected tertiary coil means operatively associated with said autotransformer for removing transient fan-d harmonic voltages from the three-phasey secondary voltages :of the autotransformer, second transformer means comprising three single phase transform-ers,

701 each of which includes a primary coil and a secondary coil, said primary coils being delta-connected `and said secondary coils being Y-connected, :delta-connected tertiary coil means operatively `associated with the coils of said second transformer vmeans for preventing transient and harmonicvoltages from appearing in the output ofl power diode vrectiers, an output load, one end of cach of said-secondary coils being connected to said rectiers and sal-d rectiers being in turn connected to one end of said load, the opposite ends of eachof said secondary coils being connected to a common point which is in turn connected to the other end of said load.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,174,392 Schmer et al. Sept. 26, 1939 2,221,57-6 Dawson Nov. 12, 1940 2,290,682 Geiselman July 21, 1942 2,477,211 Smith July 26, 1949 

1. A POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM COMPRISING THREE-PHASE Y-CONNECTED AUTORANSFORMER MEANS SECOND TRANSFORMER MEANS, SAID SECOND TRANSFORMER MEANS INCLUDING PRIMARY COIL MEANS AND SECONDARY COIL MEANS, SAID PRIMARY COIL MEANS BEING DELTA-CONNECTED AND SAID SECONDARY COIL MEANS BEING Y-CONNECTED, THE OUTPUT OF SAID AUTOTRANSFORMER MEANS BEING CONNECTED TO THE PRIMARY COIL MEANS OF SAID SECOND TRANSFORMER MEANS, SILICON RECTIFIER MEANS, THE OUTPUT OF SAID SECONDARY COIL MEANS OF SAID SECOND TRANSFORMER MEANS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID SILICON RECTIFIER MEANS, AND DELTA-CONNECTED UNLOADED TERTIARY COILS IN AT LEAST ONE OF A SAID TRANSFORMER MEANS FOR SHORT CIRCUITING THIRD AND RELATED HARMONIC COMPONENTS. 